@helvetica Several have been tried over the last twelve years or so. Two, the first and the third, were by the same headstaffer, and I believe the third (chronologically the second, run by a different headstaffer) was called Demigod Destinies. I don’t have details, since all my logs were on my long-dead old desktop tower, but I believe all of them used a variation of the Scion 1st Edition system. It worked reasonably well.

The first ran for maybe a year before RL stole away our headstaffer and the game collapsed. Somewhere along the line, someone got the bright idea that, “OMG, people are spending XPZZZZZZ without supervizionzzzzzz!!1!!!” and talked the headwiz into implementing a rule that any advances outside of chargen required playing in or running three scenes focused on training in the desired skill, attribute, and/or area of improvement. This sounds good on paper, but in practice it means that, unless you have the freedom to do little more than play the game all day, ALL of your scenes are going to be about training, and eventually you run out of ways to make training RP even remotely fun. Most of us tried not to involve dice in our scenes as a result. The way I see it, if you’ve earned the XP, you shouldn’t have to justify how you spend it. Yes, this can be abused, but it can and should be dealt with on a one-on-one basis instead of dropping a supervision anvil on the whole playerbase just to swat a couple ‘twinks’.

Someone else on all three games insisted on a rule that all poses had to be a minimum of 100 words. This sounds like a good idea if you’ve ever played with more than a few of those players who only type lazy-looking one-line poses, but again, it doesn’t work nearly so well in practice. 100 words of flowery, descriptive, empty words just to say, ‘Percy opens the door and steps into the room,’ is just as bad. RP slowed to a crawl, and finding a way to stretch poses without excessive empty padding tends to drain the fun out of any scene.

The headwiz of Demigod Destinies also proved to not be a fun person to deal with or play with, unless you were into being verbally abused and talked down to. That game lasted about a year before folding.

At one point I believe the original headwiz tried to reopen her game a third time, but suddenly went silent, and the game died without ever finishing setup roughly a month later. I still don’t know what happened there.

I’d LOVE to see someone try again.

For what it may be worth, I’d also love to see an Aliens type of game.

@Pavel I see… heaven forbid I do your job for you!

@Jennkryst I remember stories about how SerenityMUSH started life as a relatively short-lived Star Wars MU called ISD Revenge, but I had no idea it was a GOMO of AoA.

Given the fact that so much of AoA has played out like SerenityMUSH, I had entertained the thought that the connection between it and ISD Revenge ran deeper than just them both using DSS. It felt like more than a coincidence that the oldest ship on AoA, the Finalizer, just happened to be a Star Destroyer, and the centerpiece of ISD Revenge was surely also a Star Destroyer (I never played there, so I have no way of knowing. Though from everything I’ve heard, I feel like I dodged at least one bullet…).

Do you know if Mal and/or Inara copied AoA without permission to build ISD Revenge? It’s the kind of thing Mal would do, and might explain why Cujo seems so proddy about anyone trying to copy his gamewreck.

@Pavel

@Pavel said in Star Wars Age of Alliances: Hadrix and Cujo:

The adage of “any publicity is good publicity” still holds true.

I’m not sure this situation is quite that simple, so again, I both agree and disagree. I do remember mentioning that I am fascinated by failure, and this game is the biggest fail-fest since SerenityMUSH (a very high bar to jump).

Though I will say that anybody who reads any part of this thread and says, “Ooooh! I wonder if it really is that bad? I think I will play this game and find out!”, and follows through on that statement, is an idiot of the first order (pardon the pun) and deserves whatever awfulness happens to them. It could be compared to jumping into the Amazon River just to see if there really are piranha in the river.

I do appreciate the advice, though.

@Ashkuri I both agree and disagree. Mostly because this forum is intended to serve as a warning to players new and old about this so-called game.

It’s not free publicity if it doesn’t help them. The place has recently had an influx of new PCs, largely due to the introduction of the naval fleet combat system and the fleet captains initiative, and I can guarantee you that this thread has absolutely nothing to do with that. The sad part is that some of them are actual new players, who are going to learn the ugly facts about about this place the hard way, which we also have nothing to do with.

You’re right about them never changing, though. And as with all of these matters, the proof is in the posts:

=======================<* 7: Game Announcements - 132 *>=======================
Message: 7/132 Posted Author
Moar Noms Pls Feb 02 2022 Cujo

We’d love to. But we can’t.

The 20 noms a week you’re given is reaching the ceiling of what we can really do. Sometimes, as we see fit, the Staff will issue more noms, but its only when we can, which is something we have to choose wisely on.

Our recommendations is that if you’re attending a lot of big scenes during the week… please only +nom the people you directly interact with, or even better, the people who pose in ways that most impress you. You have to, as players, be a bit more stingy with your +noms if you want to have them last through the week, especially if you’re going to a lot of big scenes where you’re +nomming people that you’re not even ICly interacting with.

Sometimes, its best to just not +nom someone who isn’t putting a lot of effort out, or who you do not even RP with directly in a big scene.

Choose wisely, you really do only get 20 +noms a week.

• Cujo
  ====================< Comment 1 - Added Feb 15 06:15PM GMT >====================
  Cujo Commented:
  Just to spotlight this post anew, once upon a time we only gave out somewhere around 5 to 7 +noms in a 7 day period on this game. The original intent being that +noms were given to those who most shined, like a Player of the Scene reward. As times have changed, people have come to expect to hand out one to everyone that is in a large scene with them, or anyone that poses in the same room as them. Though I understand the intent is to show appreciation for participation, we still strive to make RP the goal and the reward that is most desired overall, the +nom and the XP is second and third to the RP itself.

We have upped the number over the years, but also reduced the XP you get from a +nom as well, to balance it out. The rest of the above still stands too. Only give +noms to those you directly interact with in a large scene, or those who pose in ways that are above and beyond, to help show them that an impressively crafted pose is worth one of your precious +noms.

And yes, Bizz, I know that you tell people to just +nom people on their alts, because Cujo will never know. But I do know, Bizz… I do know. AND we can reject +noms too, if we feel so inclined, but we don’t want to be mean to you guys, because we love you (not Bizz, but everyone else.)
-------------------------------< +bbread 7/132 >--------------------------------

Having played on games that had absolutely no limit on +noms, +votes, +whatever, save that you couldn’t nom the same player twice in the same week, this reeks of bantha droppings. Even if it’s true, whose fault is it that Cujo and Company continue to cling to (not to mention continue to severely overcomplicate) such a ramshackle, outdated system as DSS?

Nobody’s fault but theirs, really.

@Warlander Meet the new theme post!

========================<* 6: Theme Discussion - 36 *>=========================
Message: 6/36 Posted Author
Current Theme Summary Feb 12 2025 Cujo

Our story is set 18 years after Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, in a galaxy ruled by the Sith Empire, where a fledgling rebellion is beginning to rise once more.

The Sith have abandoned the Rule of Two, expanding their ranks by training countless Sith Acolytes and warriors in temples scattered across the galaxy. Their dominion stretches from the Core Worlds to the Inner Rim, enforced by legions of Sith warriors, an iron-fisted military, and a vast fleet of Star Destroyers. Through terror and oppression, they maintain order, crushing all who defy them. Any system that resists is swiftly subjected to brutal crackdowns;entire populations are subjugated, cities are razed, and rebel sympathizers are executed publicly to serve as warnings. The Sith’s enforcers patrol every sector, hunting Jedi and traitors alike, ensuring no one is safe from their reach.

The Jedi, long thought extinct, have survived in secrecy. Led by Rey, they have spent nearly two decades gathering allies, stockpiling resources, and training a new generation of Jedi in hiding. The Sith Empire has sought them relentlessly, dispatching inquisitors and assassins to root them out. Those captured face grim fates;imprisonment, torture, or worse, forced conversion into Sith acolytes. Now, as the Rebellion stirs, the Jedi are beginning to emerge from the shadows to aid in the fight against the Sith’s tyranny.

At the head of the Sith Empire stands the enigmatic Darth Omen, a towering and fearsome Sith Lord who oversees the training of new Sith across the Empire. His apprentice, Empress Kessa;known to many as Darth Mirage;governs the Empire from Coruscant, ruling from the old Senate complex with ruthless precision. Both are masked figures whose true faces have never been seen, adding to their mystique and terror. Darth Omen is clad in black robes, a figure of raw power, while Empress Kessa drapes herself in ornate crimson outfits. Under her rule, entire worlds have been stripped of their resources, their populations enslaved, and their cultures erased to serve the will of the Sith.

Beyond the Sith’s reach, the Outer Rim remains a battleground of its own. The Hutt Cartel thrives, striking lucrative deals with the Sith to ensure their criminal enterprises remain untouched. They funnel Force-sensitive captives to the Empire, run smuggling operations, and serve as a shadow network for the highest bidder. In return, the Sith allow them to rule their crime-infested worlds unopposed, turning Nar Shaddaa and other underworld strongholds into dens of vice, corruption, and exploitation. Meanwhile, piracy has surged in the lawless territories, as warlords and marauders prey upon vulnerable trade routes. Some align with the Rebellion, striking at Sith supply lines, while others serve only their own greed, raiding anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path.

Amidst this turmoil, the Rebellion has begun to rally around its mobile command center;Organa’s Hope, a massive shipyard and production facility capable of jumping from system to system. Named in honor of the late Leia Organa, this formidable vessel is the key to the Rebellion’s strategy. From its hangars, the Resistance plans daring strikes against the Sith Empire, seeking to dismantle its oppressive rule one battle at a time.

The fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance. The Sith Empire’s reign of terror has cast a shadow across every world, but the embers of rebellion refuse to die. The Jedi, the Rebellion, and the desperate souls of the Outer Rim all stand at a crossroads. Will the Sith crush all opposition, or will the Rebellion ignite a new hope?

(This is your latest summary of the game’s setting and theme, feel free to share it around and reference it to others.)
--------------------------------< +bbread 6/36 >--------------------------------

Same as the old theme post… big surprise, right?

@Watcher616 In the meantime, the Sith Empire is snapping up at least one world for every world the Resistance might have a chance at gaining, probably because Aryn has at least one leadership alt there. She has alts in leadership positions in every major faction (Empire, Resistance, Mandalorians/Kora), except possibly the Hutt Cartel.

@MisterBoring said in Star Wars Age of Alliances: Hadrix and Cujo:

I got an itch to go actually look at AoA today and well, even without the absolutely crap behavior from staff, this game is far too complex for my tastes.

Speaking of messes, this just hit the grid. Note the posting dates of the original message and the comment.

=========================<* 8: Game Updates - 218 *>=========================
Message: 8/218 Posted Author
Free Starter Ship Dec 09 2023 Cujo

Hello all

We’re instituting a new Chargen feature, in the form of a free starter ship. If you make a new character, and want to request a free ship once you are IC, then we offer you the newly updated Slingshot cargo hauler.

The new Slingshot comes with 200 tons of cargo space. Max Speeds of 50 MGLT in space, and 80 MGLT in atmosphere. It is still a 1 crew ship, with a bunk behind the pilot’s station, with interior room for 2 passengers to at least sit fiairly comfortably while traveling the space lanes.

In the end, we are now offering free ships out of chargen. If you make a character, and want a ship to start off with, and the new Slingshot variants sound appealing to you, then make that new character, and put in the request once you are approved and IC!

• AoA Staff
  ===================< Comment 1 - Added Jan 26 06:09PM GMT >===================
  Discordia Commented:
  think Please note a few things about the starter ships. You may not resell them, pass them on to other players, or otherwise profit from the ships, beyond ther scope of what you do in regards trading/travelling. They are offered to players as a means to allow you to get up and running for travel and running cargo only.

When you no longer want/need the ship, +request to staff and we will reclaim them.

Additionally, please be aware that these ships are intended to give you a leg up. If they remain your own/regular ship is your choice, but please be aware that if you mod the ship, and later trade it back into staff/we reclaim it for inactivity, etc, you will not get back the money you paid for any modifications you added to these ships, nor will we return the mods to you to use on a new ship. Ideally, you should be looking to purchase a ship of your choice and add mods to those, as those can be resold/traded if desired. Though you still won’t get back the cost of mods if you resell the non-starter ship to staff.

Please see +bbread 8/222 and +bbread 8/225 for some of our other ship programs.

for those of you wishing to sell back ships you no longer need/want that are not the starter ship, you can sell these back to staff for half of the base credit cost you paid. Mods costs will not be returned to you.
------------------------------< +bbread 8/218 >-------------------------------

The delay in posting this is pretty interesting. Good mods are still too rare and expensive to risk losing them to such a bad trade as this policy sets up, creating a powerful incentive to hold on to modded ships (an incentive the dinosaurs likely paid no attention to, since they’d do that anyway. It’s not like anyone’s going to prevent them from hoarding ships).

And I’m sure if you ask about it, ‘It’s always been like this!’.

@Warlander (Much as I don’t like to reply to myself, I felt that this needed to be said.)

The really sad part of this is that these two new staffers may really be doing their jobs with good intentions, and have no idea just how their work may be (mis)used.

Or maybe they’re the same sort of scum as Cujo and Company . Or somewhere in between. Until something happens to reveal the content of their character, we have no way of knowing.

If you want to take a chance on dealing with them regarding the game’s many, many issues, please give them the same respect you’d give any other player you haven’t dealt with before (I probably don’t have any need to say this, but I’ll say it anyway, just in case). Good luck if you do take the risk.

@ThisGuy Leviathan and Heureux, to my way of thinking, aren’t there to help change anything for the better; Cujo and Company aren’t about that, and never have been.

I suspect that their primary function, whether they know it or not, is to find out who is complaining, and what they are complaining about. So when nothing changes and the player later posts about it someplace like here, it’s easier to find out who that person is on the game and silence them, most likely by banning them.

Which doesn’t actually help him and his, either, since creating disgruntled former players who have some degree of dirt on you is rarely a good idea, and players who are friends with the banned person are likely to leave. You can lead a troll to answers, but you can’t make him THINK.

@Raistlin Color me interested. I’ve been meaning to read that system, but I never seem to get around to it.

@Lemon-Fox I very much appreciate your admission that you might have misread my intentions. Thank you. Frankly, I’m not really into complicated combat systems, no matter who designed them or how refined or kludgy they are, and the ground battle system as listed was so eye-crossingly complex that I couldn’t even finish reading it. If you really are playing with those two systems and having fun with them, and I really hope you are, I won’t try to dissuade you. That’s just not why I commented on them.

@Lemon-Fox said in Star Wars Age of Alliances: Hadrix and Cujo:

So, this is part of why I feel like old salt is interfering with giving stuff a chance. I’ve been on the game for a while now, and I’ve not experienced…hardly anything listed here.

As with most of ‘the AoA experience’, I suspect this phrase should be capped off with the word ‘Yet.’ I hope not, but experience has taught me better than to harbor hopes that usually turn out to be false, or at least misplaced.

Hobbie already laid out the reasons for this better than I ever could, but for my part I’ll repeat that not only did Cujo and Company fail my test long ago, they continue to do so, and their behavior has gotten worse, not better. Even if they seem to have learned to hide it better than before. This may be a large part of why you haven’t had ‘the AoA experience’ to date.

@Lemon-Fox I’d really love to know who got bent out of shape about your apping a character who didn’t start at the bottom (which, for what it’s worth, I find hilariously petty, even by AoA standards, since the position was, as you said, largely ceremonial). I like learning more about the people who play there, good or bad. The good so I know who might be good people to know, and the bad so I know who to avoid like the plague.

Also, if you want to know why I, or anyone else here, feels the way we do, feel free to read the entire thread. You’ll either agree or disagree with us, as is your right. You may also learn things you may not have known about AoA. Possibly things you may not want to know.

And as for me ‘crapping all over it’, ‘being a giant dick about it’, ‘such a sourpuss about this’, ‘salty’, etc., etc., etc… reread my posts on this subject. Compare it to other posts here, including your own. I have my moments of anger and bitterness, as does everyone, and I’m choosing to believe that this is one of yours, because, contrary to what you may be thinking, I respect players and staff, yourself included, until they give me a very good reason not to.

And unlike you, Cujo and Company failed that test long ago, and have only gotten worse since. Positive change just isn’t a thing that happens on AoA, largely because of the sheer toxicity of the upper echelon of staff there, and until some or all of them change their ways, which they show no signs of ever doing, or leave and turn the game over to people who know and appreciate the value of respect for themselves and fellow players, positive change will remain an alien phenomenon there.

Feel free to disagree with me. As I said before, that’s your right. If this thing actually succeeds, and actually results in player driven, meaningful change to the grid (especially if it includes seeing the Sith Empire pushed into the position the Resistance occupies right now, a situation that I would consider proof positive that Aryn and her ilk aren’t just letting everyone think they’re accomplishing something while nothing meaningful actually changes) I’ll reevaluate my position. And if you and yours actually are having fun and don’t eventually get the full AoA experience (aka being screwed over by one or more staffers in at least one major way), I’ll be happy to be wrong.

@Hobbie I can vouch for this. It’s been a habit in that place for years. It’s not uncommon for Aryn’s whole collection of alts to be connected twice, with a few of them connected three or more times. Add to that the fact that some staff have as many as four or five alts and you’ve got a severely overinflated WHO roster.

It’s not news at this point, I know. It just occasionally bears repeating. Some of those staffers are known to occasionally stagger their connect times just so it’s harder to pin down who’s an alt and who’s not.

This sort of wacky (un-)fun was also common on SerenityMUSH (funny how DSS games attract such horrible, “success”-obsessed and amoral staffers), altfest and all. Mal was so obsessed with protecting staff alt identities that he actually tried to enforce a ban on reading other players’ connect times to see who was whose alt, and how many alts there were.

@Zephyr I’ve had a feeling that the answer was something like this for years now, but thanks for bringing more specifics to the table.

And I agree that he’s not a good leader, even if I do think that’s the understatement of the century.

@Jax I’m going to say no, 'cause they’ve certainly given no sign that anything has been done.

Not that I expect them to even try…

@Warlander (I don’t like to reply to myself, but it’s not completely inappropriate in this case, since this is a follow-up post)

Here’s the goods, as promised. And like I said before, it’s lengthy.

======================<* 7: Game Announcements - 185 *>======================
Message: 7/185 Posted Author
Captains to the Bridge Dec 08 2024 Cujo

We are going to be offering players the chance to be a Captain of their own naval fleet ship. Whether it be an Imperial or a Rebel ship. If you would like to make a Captain in either military, you can start off as the Captain of a Rebel MC75 Cal Cruiser in the Rebellion, or a Victory-class Star Destroyer in the Sith Empire.

If you serve actively for six months, you can upgrade to serve as the Captain of an MC80 Cal Cruiser, or an Imperial Star Destroyer. While, after a year of active service, you can upgrade to serve on an MC90 Cal Cruiser, or a Resurgent-class Star Destroyer. From there, if you maintain activity, we can discuss future upgrades to serve aboard.

Your activity as a Captain will yield you the ability to buy 3 support fleet ships, to have with you, bought via Screambucks, to push RP as the driving goal here. Some support ships include Corvettes, Nebulon Frigates, and Interdictor Cruisers. Each one will have different abilities to offer your fleet a bonus, but you can only have three support ships in total.

These positions are meant to offer players the chance to play an influential role in the military sphere of RP, and give an opportunity for a new kind of impact on the game’s grid.

Some Rules:

• You can freely travel in your capital ship between any star systems that your faction controls, but to enter enemy faction territory, you have to get Staff approval first.
• You can freely travel to any independent (yellow) star system on +mapscale, but you may be more vulnerable to attack from NPCs or enemy factions.
• To attack enemy ships, Staff has to be consulted via a +request, and a battle will be attempted to be organized. If one party is unable to be reached, and a battle be setup, Staff holds the right to hold the battle in the absence of the Captain of the ship being attacked.
• All ships are going to be given a base set of dice to determine its power vs an enemy’s power. This will include some dice for such elements such as Capital ship Offense. Defense. Starfighter Attack and Starfighter Defense. Planetary Attack and Planetary Defenses.
• If you lose a battle, your ship will be assumed to flee back to a safe harbor, where you will have to be at port for a month for repairs and restock. Your ship will be locked down for this time period, before it can travel again.
• If your ship is caught in a gravity well, produced by an enemy ship, it can be destroyed, and you will be shipless for a month before you receive a new assignment.
• Staff hold the right to decide if your ship is attacked at any given moment anywhere on grid, as the overall flow of the grid’s IC challenges might change.
• These represent a base line of rules for what we’re offering here, and the system will be given greater detail, should people engage with it.

If you would like to make a Capital Ship Captain, then please do so. This WILL be about galactic conquest, if players want it to be. It is also about helping the flow of the game change, through player driven choices and decisions, while Staff maintains the theme from the background.
===================< Comment 1 - Added Dec 10 11:35PM GMT >===================
Cujo Commented:
Here is what the basics are for cap vs cap fighting. this does not include starfighters yet. These may change too, of course.

Capital Ship Stats

Each ship has three primary stats:
Hull Points (HP): Represents the structural integrity of the ship.
Shield Points (SP): Absorbs damage before it reaches the hull.
Offense Dice (OD): Represents the ship?s attack capability, rolled during combat.

All ships have identical stats for both Rebel and Sith fleets to ensure balanced gameplay. The progression is based on ship class:

Base Stats by Class
Ship Class
Hull Points
Shield Points
Offense Dice

MC75 / Victory Star Destroyer
Hit Points: 500
Shield Points: 200
Offense Dice: 1 d20

MC80 Cal Cruiser / Imperial Star Destroyer
Hit Points: 700
Shield Points: 300
Offense Dice: 2 d20

MC90 Cal Cruiser / Resurgent Star Destroyer
Hit Points: 900
Shield Points: 400
Offense Dice: 3 d20

Support Ships

Players can acquire up to three support ships, each adding unique bonuses to the fleet. Bonuses apply only when the support ships are in the same system as the capital ship.

Support Ship Options

CR90 Corvette / Raider-class Corvette

Bonus: +5 to Capital Ship Offense Rolls

Hit Points: 100
Shield Points: 50
Offense Dice: 1d10

Nebulon-B Frigate / Arquitens-class Cruiser
Bonus: +50 Shield Points to Capital Ship

Hit Points: 200
Shield Points: 150
Offense Dice: 1d12

Interdictor Cruiser
Bonus: Gravity Well Generator to prevent enemy retreat

Hit Points: 250
Shield Points: 100
Offense Dice: 1d8

Combat System

Combat between ships will involve rolling dice and applying damage based on the following system:

Determine Initiative:

Each Captain rolls 1d20 to determine who attacks first.

Attack Roll:

Attacker rolls their ship’s Offense Dice (OD).

Defender rolls a dice based on their Naval Officer Profession level.
Level 1: 1d5 (Basic Naval Officers)
Level 2: 1d10 (Above Average Naval Officers)
Level 3: 1d15 (Specialized Naval Officers)
Level 4: 1d20 (Master Naval Officers)

Subtract defense roll from the attack roll to determine net damage.

Apply Damage:

Damage is first applied to Shield Points (SP). Any remaining damage is then applied to Hull Points (HP).

Critical Hits:

Rolling a natural 20 on an attack roll deals double damage.

Special Abilities:

Support ships? bonuses are applied automatically.

Gravity Well Generators from Interdictor Cruisers prevent retreat and force combat to continue until resolution.

Repair and Recovery

If a ship is reduced to 0 HP, it is considered disabled and must flee if possible.

Disabled ships return to base, where a dice roll will determine their ship’s repair time. Max 1 month.

If caught in a gravity well, a ship can be destroyed outright, requiring the Captain to wait one month for reassignment to a new vessel.

Progression and Advancement
Captains start with an MC75 or Victory-class Star Destroyer.

After 6 months of active play, Captains may upgrade to an MC80 or Imperial Star Destroyer.

After 1 year of active play, Captains may upgrade to an MC90 or Resurgent-class Star Destroyer.
===================< Comment 2 - Added Dec 11 11:28PM GMT >===================
Cujo Commented:
Starfighters in Naval Battles:
Every Captain has a number of starfighters at their combat disposal aboard their assigned capital ship. The squadrons are commanded by an NPC Wing Commander by default, though if a PC Wing Commander joins the Captain’s ship, then the PC Wing Commander can provide roll bonuses to the fleet’s starfighters, based on their Combat Pilot profession levels.

Capital Ship Squadrons:
MC75 Cal Cruiser / Victory Star Destroyer: 2 Squadrons (24 Fighters or 2d12)
MC80 Cal Cruiser / Imperial Star Destroyer: 4 Squadrons (48 Fighters or 4d12)
MC90 Cal Cruiser / Resurgent Star Destroyer: 6 Squadrons (72 Fighters or 6d12)

Starfighters can be launched from their capital ship at any time during a naval battle. The Captain must declare OOC what role the deployed squadron is, and what their target is.

Deployment Roles:
Dogfight: This is targeting an enemy starfighter squadron.
Defenders: this is defending a target capital ship.
Attack Run: This is an attack on an enemy capital ship / support ship.

Dogfight Deployment:
When two, or more, squadrons are tasked with dogfighting one another, then each Captain rolls 1d12 vs 1d12. The highest of the two rolls is the squadron who won that round, and the difference is subtracted from the losing squadron’s dice. This represents dwindling fighter numbers in that squadron.

Example:
Rebel captain rolls 1d12, vs Imperial Captain who rolls 1d12. Rebel roll is 8. Imperial roll is 11. Difference is 3. Rebel Captain’s squadron dice is now 1d9 vs Imperial squadron dice of 1d12. Keep rolling until a squadron is defeated, or flees the fight.

Defender Deployment:
A squadron is assigned as a defender of a capital ship or support ship, and that squadron’s current dice is added to the Captain’s defense roll. An attacking ship or squadron must eliminate the starfighter squadron before they can resume an undefended attack on that capital / support ship.

Example:
Rebel Captain assigns a squadron to defend their MC75 Cruiser. Since they are a Profession level 1 Captain, their Defense dice is 1d5, but their squadron now brings it to 1d17 for the MC75 Cruiser. The Imperial Captain declares if their damage dealt to the enemy is to its target’s capital ship shields(or Hull if shields are gone) or to the defenders starfighter dice, to reduce the starfighter dice until it is gone.

Attack Run Deployment:
An attacking Captain adds their starfighter squadron dice to their Capital ship’s Offense Dice.

Example:
A Rebel Captain’s MC75 Cruiser is attacking a Victory Star Destroyer. the base Offense Dice of 1d20 now becomes 1d32. All counter attacks from the Imperial Captain can be declared against the starfighter dice of the Rebel Captain, or against their capital ship itself. To reduce the Rebel Captain’s Offense Dice, the Imperial Captain has to direct 12 damage directly to the starfighter squadron dice the Rebel Captain is using to boost their Offense Dice.

If an attacking Rebel Captain wishes to keep their MC75 Cruiser out of the fight, and the Imperial Captain is not wishing to close distance, then the Rebel Captain’s Offense Dice is left at just 1d12 for the squadron.

Remember: Damage to squadron dice reduce it overall, to reflect starfighter losses.

PC Wing Commanders:
If a Captain has a PC Wing Commander, then the PC Wing Commander can add a bonus based on their Combat Pilot profession level.
Level 1: 1d2 (Basic Combat Pilot)
Level 2: 1d4 (Above Average Combat Pilot)
Level 3: 1d6 (Specialized Combat Pilot)
Level 4: 1d8 (Master Combat Pilot or ‘Ace’)
===================< Comment 3 - Added Dec 12 12:02AM GMT >===================
Cujo Commented:
All of this is about putting the state of the galactic map in your hands, the players. Right now the Sith have dominant control of the map, but the Rebels’ are hiding, along with their ultra mega huge ship production facility. It is mobile, and they are always on the move. Every Sith planet (red planets on +mapscale) have a specific amount of ships guarding it. Staff will decide what that system has when a Captain(s) decides to attack it. If a Rebel fleet takes over a star system, they will have to defend it from a Staff-chosen amount of enemies every so often, until they can build a force of NPCs that will protect the planet for them.

This might sound complicated, and maybe it is. The goal here is to make it as approachable, as possible, though, and to give the game to you guys to decide where it goes. Obviously, though, it requires people to become Captains though… and report to their bridges.
===================< Comment 4 - Added Dec 16 03:00AM GMT >===================
Cujo Commented:
The first support ships can be chosen by those who run their first Cap ship vs Cap ship battle. The Captain who GMs the event, whether it turns out as a loss for their ship or not, will get to choose their first Support Ship.

So, please, Captains to the Bridge, and lets get some fights going. GM a fight, get a Support Ship for your new fleet.
===================< Comment 5 - Added Dec 17 11:53PM GMT >===================
Cujo Commented:
The Naval Combat School room has been added to the OOC Lounge area. If one wishes more information on the naval system posted here, this will be the room where the most updated information gets displayed. +Views will soon be added with the most refined rules, while display objects give stats, and show what ships can be used in the standard fights for this NCS options here on the MUSH.

If you’d like to hold chats with other players, or Staff, this is a perfect location to go and talk about the NCS in its latest iteration.
===================< Comment 6 - Added Dec 19 11:43PM GMT >===================
Cujo Commented:
We’re upping Capital Ship Offense Dice to Tier 1: 1d50. Tier 2: 2d50. Tier 3: 3d50.

This is to make Cap Ships stand alone more dangerous. this change was anticipated, and planned for. It is better to need to creep up, in stats, than it is to creep down.

All Captains, keep at it, and keep offering suggestions. Work together, and keep having the fun. We need more Captains, and more Wing Commanders too. Please consider joining up today.
===================< Comment 7 - Added Dec 21 06:32AM GMT >===================
Cujo Commented:
Note: When a Capital ship acquires support ships, you will see it in the bridge info desc. It will also be on scan, when another ship scans the Capital ship. It will also change a capital ship’s name. If you see, for example: Ponderosa, and then the ship is suddenly Ponderosa Fleet, then that means the Ponderosa has acquired at least one support ship. Just scan it, to see what is in its IC fleet.
===================< Comment 8 - Added Dec 23 12:34AM GMT >===================
Cujo Commented:
Captains:

All support ships, for your fleet, can be purchased for 25 screambucks (+help screambucks) via +request.

GO OOC to the Naval Combat School, to view the available support ship displays. Pick the ones you want for your fleet, and purchase them with screambucks. If you lose them IC, you’ll have to earn the SBs to replace them. All about that RP currency.

Currently, support ships are listed in your Capital ship’s main bridge, and in the ship’s description when externally scanned by other vessels. We also are renaming your capital ship to include ‘Fleet’ in the name, to let others nearby know that your Capital ship is flanked by support vessels.
------------------------------< +bbread 7/185 >-------------------------------

A similar thing has been done with ground conflict.

======================<* 7: Game Announcements - 187 *>======================
Message: 7/187 Posted Author
Generals to the Front Dec 20 2024 Cujo

Continuing our goal of all out galactic war, the following is an overview of the ground invasion / defense system that we will be utilizing.

Ground Combat Mechanics Overview

Purpose:
To capture, defend, or sabotage planets, providing strategic resources and territory for the controlling faction. Staff will decide what each planet has, when the ground invasion is ready to begin.

Key Concepts:

• Ground combat is triggered after a fleet defeats or bypasses orbital defenses.
• Ground units are deployed to capture key objectives such as planetary shields, command centers, or industrial complexes.
• Players can enhance planetary defenses through garrisons and planetary shields.

Ground Units:
Ground forces are categorized into unit types with unique roles:

• Infantry (e.g., Stormtroopers, Rebel Troopers): Core combat units for assaults and defense.
• Armored Units (e.g., AT-STs, T2-B Repulsor Tanks): Heavily armed vehicles for attacking fortified positions.
• Artillery (e.g., AT-ATs, Heavy Artillery Platforms): Long-range units ideal for siege combat.
• Air Support (e.g., TIE Strikers, Airspeeders): Provides bonuses to damage or mobility during combat.
• Special Forces (e.g., Imperial Commandos, Rebel SpecForce): Used for sabotage, intelligence gathering, or disabling key planetary infrastructure.

Planetary Defense Installations:

• Planetary Shields: Protect the planet from bombardment; must be disabled before ground combat begins.
• Turbolaser Batteries: Damage attacking fleets or ground units during the invasion phase.
• Military Bases: Increase defending ground units’ rolls and provide reinforcements.

Ground Combat Procedure

1. Orbital Phase:
   Naval combat determines control of space. If planetary shields are active, attacking forces must disable them using bombardment or sabotage.

2. Deployment Phase:

   • Attacking players allocate ground forces to the invasion.
   • Defending players use local garrisons and reinforcements.
   • Units are assigned to specific objectives on the planet.

3. Combat Rounds:
   Ground combat proceeds in turns, with dice rolls determining the effectiveness of attacks and defenses.

Example Combat Dice Mechanics:

• Infantry: 1d6 per unit
• Armored Units: 1d8 per unit
• Artillery: 1d10 per unit
• Air Support: Adds 1d6 bonus to all allied units
• Special Forces: 1d4 sabotage action

Modifiers could include planetary terrain bonuses (e.g., forested planets reduce armored unit effectiveness), defensive structures, or leadership.

4. Victory Conditions:
   • The attacker must eliminate defending units and capture key objectives.
   • The defender wins if attackers are repelled or time runs out (e.g., reinforcements arrive).

Continued in part two…
===================< Comment 1 - Added Dec 20 03:31AM GMT >===================
Cujo Commented:
Part two… ### Example Scenario: Planetary Invasion of Sullust

Orbital Phase:
The Rebel fleet defeats the Imperial Star Destroyers and disables the planetary shields using specialized starfighters and sabotage units.

Deployment Phase:

• Rebels deploy 4 Infantry units, 2 Armored units (T2-B Tanks), and 1 Air Support unit (Airspeeders).
• Imperials deploy 3 Infantry units, 1 Armored unit (AT-ST), and 1 Artillery unit (Turbolaser Battery).

Combat Rounds:
Round 1:

• Rebels roll 4d6 for Infantry, 2d8 for Armored, and 1d6 Air Support bonus. Total: 27 damage.
• Imperials roll 3d6 for Infantry, 1d8 for Armored, and 1d10 for Artillery. Total: 18 damage.

Round 2:
Rebels focus fire on the Artillery and destroy it, leaving the Imperials vulnerable. The Imperials counterattack but lose their last armored unit.

Outcome:
Rebels capture the Sullust industrial complex and establish control of the planet.

Integration with Naval Combat

• Ground units can be transported by specific capital ships (e.g., Victory Star Destroyers, MC75s).
• Naval battles directly impact planetary defenses and the availability of reinforcements.
• Planetary battles influence fleet logistics (e.g., gaining shipyards or losing supply depots).

Continued in part three… (Stats)
===================< Comment 2 - Added Dec 20 04:43AM GMT >===================
Cujo Commented:

Ground Unit Invader Types: Stats

1. Infantry Units

   • HP: 5
   • Offense Dice: 1d6
   • Examples: Rebel Troopers, Stormtroopers

2. Armored Units

   • HP: 10
   • Offense Dice: 2d8
   • Examples: T2-B Repulsor Tanks, AT-ST Walkers

3. Artillery Units

   • HP: 25
   • Offense Dice: 1d10 (long-range attacks)
   • Examples: Mobile Turbolaser Platforms, AT-AT / AT-MT, Heavy Artillery Units

4. Air Support Units

   • HP: 7
   • Offense Dice: 1d12 (versatile strikes, can target both ground and air units)
   • Examples: Rebel Airspeeders, TIE Strikers

5. Special Forces Units

   • HP: 8
   • Offense Dice: 2d6 (targeted attacks, often with bonuses against specific units like vehicles or structures)
   • Examples: Rebel SpecForce Infiltrators, Imperial Commandos

Ground Unit Allocation by Capital Ship Tier

Tier 1: MC75 Cal Cruiser / Victory Star Destroyer

• Infantry Units: 2
• Armored Units: 1
• Artillery Units: 1
• Air Support Units: 1
• Special Forces Units: 0

Tier 2: MC80 Cal Cruiser / Imperial Star Destroyer

• Infantry Units: 4
• Armored Units: 2
• Artillery Units: 2
• Air Support Units: 2
• Special Forces Units: 1

Tier 3: MC90 / Resurgent Star Destroyer

• Infantry Units: 6
• Armored Units: 3
• Artillery Units: 3
• Air Support Units: 3
• Special Forces Units: 2

Example Breakdown

MC75 / Victory Star Destroyer Ground Units

• 2 Infantry Units (10 HP total, 2d6 combined Offense Dice)
• 1 Armored Unit (10 HP, 2d8 Offense Dice)
• 1 Artillery Unit (8 HP, 1d10 Offense Dice)
• 1 Air Support Unit (7 HP, 1d12 Offense Dice)

MC80 / Imperial Star Destroyer Ground Units

• 4 Infantry Units (20 HP total, 4d6 combined Offense Dice)
• 2 Armored Units (20 HP total, 4d8 combined Offense Dice)
• 2 Artillery Units (50 HP total, 2d10 combined Offense Dice)
• 2 Air Support Units (14 HP total, 2d12 combined Offense Dice)
• 1 Special Forces Unit (6 HP, 2d6 Offense Dice)

MC90 / Resurgent Star Destroyer Ground Units

• 6 Infantry Units (30 HP total, 6d6 combined Offense Dice)
• 3 Armored Units (30 HP total, 6d8 combined Offense Dice)
• 3 Artillery Units (24 HP total, 3d10 combined Offense Dice)
• 3 Air Support Units (21 HP total, 3d12 combined Offense Dice)
• 2 Special Forces Units (12 HP total, 4d6 combined Offense Dice)

---

Continued in part 4: (ground unit defenders)
===================< Comment 3 - Added Dec 20 05:23AM GMT >===================
Cujo Commented:

Planetary Defense Units

1. Planetary Infantry

• HP: 5
• Offense Dice: 1d6
• Description: Standard defensive troops equipped with blasters and basic armor.
• Example: Stormtroopers, Rebel Soldiers, Local Militia

2. Heavy Vehicle Division

• HP: 10
• Offense Dice: 2d8
• Description: Armored vehicles designed for heavy combat against invading forces.
• Example: AT-AT Walkers (Imperial), T4-B Tanks (Rebel)

3. Artillery Battery

• HP: 8
• Offense Dice: 1d10
• Description: Long-range weapon platforms used to bombard advancing enemy forces.
• Example: Planetary Turbolasers, Surface-to-Air Cannons

4. Fighter Defense Squadron

• HP: 6
• Offense Dice: 2d6
• Description: Small groups of starfighters deployed for planetary defense. Effective against air and light ground targets.
• Example: TIE Fighters, Z-95 Headhunters

5. Planetary Shield Generator

• HP: 50
• Offense Dice: None (defensive utility)
• Description: Projects a shield over key planetary assets, preventing orbital bombardments. Must be destroyed for invading forces to achieve full planetary control.
• Example: Shield Generators on Hoth

---

Typical Planetary Defense Composition

Planetary defenses will vary based on a planet’s significance and resources:

Lightly Defended Planet

• 2 Infantry Units
• 1 Fighter Defense Squadron

Moderately Defended Planet

• 3 Infantry Units
• 1 Heavy Vehicle Division
• 1 Fighter Defense Squadron

Heavily Defended Planet

• 4 Infantry Units
• 2 Heavy Vehicle Divisions
• 2 Artillery Batteries
• 1 Planetary Shield Generator

Strategic Core World

• 6 Infantry Units
• 2 Heavy Vehicle Divisions
• 2 Artillery Batteries
• 2 Fighter Defense Squadrons
• 1 Planetary Shield Generator

(These values are just examples. They are likely to change.)

Continued in part 5… (Generals and Heroes)
===================< Comment 4 - Added Dec 20 06:19AM GMT >===================
Cujo Commented:

Generals and Heroes

Every great battle requires a great leader.

Player Character (PC) Generals are vital to bolstering the strength and effectiveness of military ground forces. Much like Naval Officers influence the performance of capital ships, Generals provide strategic bonuses to their troops. To serve as a General, a PC must have the Soldier profession. The level of their Soldier profession determines the bonus dice they contribute to ground combat rolls.

General Bonus Dice by Level:

• Level 1: 1d2 (Soldier - Basic)
• Level 2: 1d4 (Soldier - Above Average)
• Level 3: 1d6 (Soldier - Specialized)
• Level 4: 1d8 (Soldier - Master)

Generals roll their bonus dice, and the result is added to their forces’ Offense Dice rolls, enhancing their combat effectiveness.

---

Heroes

Heroes are Feature Characters and Force Users who have taken on the mantle of military command within one of the galaxy’s major factions. Non-Force Heroes must follow the same rules as standard Generals and adopt the Soldier profession to lead effectively. Sith and Jedi, however, operate under unique rules due to their Force abilities.

Currently, the Jedi are not actively serving as Generals for the Rebellion, though exceptional circumstances could change this. The Sith, in contrast, actively serve as commanders within the Imperial military. For Force User Heroes, their bonus dice are determined by their Force Skills (+FS) tier, while non-Force Heroes follow the standard General bonus dice system.

Hero Bonus Dice by Level:

• Level 1: 1d2 (Soldier - Basic / Force Skills Tier 1)
• Level 2: 1d4 (Soldier - Above Average / Force Skills Tier 2)
• Level 3: 1d6 (Soldier - Specialized / Force Skills Tier 3)
• Level 4: 1d6 (Soldier - Master / Force Skills Tier 4)
• Level 5: 1d10 (Force Skills Tier 5)
• Level 6: 1d12 (Force Skills Tier 6)

Heroes roll their bonus dice, and the result is applied to all ground force combat rolls, boosting the offensive output of their troops.

---

Rules for Deployment

• A military can only field one General during a battle.
• A military can field as many Sith or Jedi as they have available for combat.

---

This structure integrates the mechanics of Generals and Heroes seamlessly into the ground combat system, ensuring every leader has a distinct and impactful role in the outcome of battles.
===================< Comment 5 - Added Dec 20 06:24AM GMT >===================
Cujo Commented:
All of this information is now on display in the Ground Combat School, inside the Naval Combat School. Just head to the OOC Lounge, and go through the NC exit, then through the GC exit.

You will find the various post entries in the +views, where they can be studied individually.
------------------------------< +bbread 7/187 >-------------------------------

I’m getting a headache just looking at these, especially the second one. But I don’t believe for a second that any of this will result in any meaningful significance to PC actions, since most likely the only players who will truly understand the systems and take advantage of them are the ones who can already do whatever they want on the grid anyway. Assuming they bother with them at all.

To any non-favored players who really do want to give this stuff a try, and actually are interested in influencing the grid? I can’t lie to you about your chances, but… you have my sympathies.

@Templari All very, very true. And let’s not forget that the gap between newbies and even low-ranking dinos is less of a gap and more of a boundless ocean, which is entirely by design. I suspect Cujo and Company resent the living hell out of veteran players who help newbies with equipment and useful (aka modded) weapons, in spite of the two-week double-XP lure they dangle in front of newbies and players who play with them, in hopes that they’ll stay.

Few do. The writing on the wall is forty feet tall and in John Deere green… or possibly Claas’s optic-yellow-esque light green.

Speaking of lures, Cujo is now dangling charbits who are in command of one of a faction’s capital ships, meaning Resistance and Sith Empire battleships. These bits also have the ability to ‘change the grid’, whatever that may mean. We all know Aryn’s not going to let the grid get changed unless she gets to do the changing.

As many as six of these bits were snapped up within two weeks. If I can scrape up the free time (my weeks just keep getting busier), I’ll see if I can find the posts. Fair warning; they’re lengthy.

I’m wondering how long this is going to last, and how many of them will keep the roles for long.

@Krautistanian I agree, to a point. I keep logging on out of a sense of morbid curiosity, too. Possibly for the same sort of deep-down reasons that people (meaning non-pyros, just to be clear) like to watch fires.

At this point, the whole structure is engulfed from foundation to forty feet above the roofline, but has somehow managed not to collapse. The evacuation is still ongoing.

@ThisGuy Funny how things change, yet remain the same. Cujo and his dodgy fave staff still want the biggest Star Wars MUSH around, but still don’t want to run plots, preferring to foist that duty off on players and minor staffers while they bicker about coded junk that doesn’t begin to promote RP.

In one way, though, they’ve actually gotten their wish for having the biggest game evar! But not in any way they wanted…

======================<* 7: Game Announcements - 46 *>=======================
Message: 7/46 Posted Author
XP Inheritance Aug 15 2018 Cujo

Are you tired of your character but you like the xp that you earned on them? Well… here’s the thing, we’re going to let you take a character on your account and let them get killed off or disappear… whatever you want to do, and you can make a new one and retain the xp you earned on that role.

Why? This is to let people have a chance to drop characters they’ve had for a long time that they’re just not that into anymore. It can also setup the potential for some IC dramatic deaths of long-standing roles, something that is woefully lacking on this ‘Wars’ game.

So if you have over 100 +noms earned, and you’d like to let your character cash in their chips and then pass that experience off to a new role who’s stepping up into the spotlight for their time to shine? We’re going to give you that xp to build a new role with.

You can just contact someone on Staff to arrange it all.

Note: +nom levels do not transfer, money doesn’t transfer, material possessions does not transfer. Only the xp that role had earned in totality. And… you cannot cash in more than one character at a time to stack xp onto the single new role.

• Cujo
  ===================< Comment 1 - Added Oct 22 11:43PM GMT >===================
  Cujo Commented:
  None of your personal possessions transfer, to anyone, other players included.
  ===================< Comment 2 - Added Oct 23 06:19PM GMT >===================
  Cujo Commented:
  Updated:

Limited item inheritance will be included with this system going forward in this form.

Having 100 +noms means you can pass 1 item on to another person.

Having 200 +noms means you can pass 2 items along.

So forth. The more noms you have when you cash your character in, the more you can pass along to others.

“Why not everything?”

Every, single, day, this game’s database is getting larger. Every day players buy more, build more, ask for more. The database is growing. Recycling items is the only real way to stop this. We have to find ways to cut the fat.

Idle players have forever lost their inventory. We’ve never let people claim the inventories/property of idle players. This goes for players who die too. We cannot allow troves of treasure to keep getting passed along when people die.

This will be worked out when a player approaches Staff about cashing their character in for xp toward a new role.

===================< Comment 3 - Added Jan 14 11:13PM GMT >===================
Cujo Commented:

• We are lowering the 100 +nom requirement for rollover, down to 50 +noms.
  -------------------------------< +bbread 7/46 >-------------------------------

There it is in black and white, folks… the database bloat is real, and it gets worse every day. Or so Cujo says. They just might have the most bloated Star Wars MUSH database out there! So you can’t pass along more than a few heirlooms if you’re lucky, you greedy, naughty twinkie-eating munchkins! Shame on you and your materialism!

But the real question here is about just why such restrictions even exist. Even the greenest rookie MUSHer can see that this problem is entirely self-inflicted. Just why does the grid need so much sheer STUFF to play a pretendy funtime game IN SPACE? Let’s not forget that the game was vastly overcoded BEFORE it reopened, and the volume of coded stuff almost tripled when the blasters got nerfed and needed mods to be useful again, different kinds of coded powerpacks were suddenly needed for different coded weapons, bacta tanks became a thing, and then suddenly needed coded bacta or kolto to work, coded workbenches and other things are needed to modify weapons and ships, there are functional smartphones in the form of datapads in a cassette futurism setting, etc., etc., effing etc.

Does any of this stuff actually facilitate RP? The short answer is no. The long answer is also no, possibly with a lot more o’s tacked on. Most of it’s there to suck up credits, 'cause, as any senior staffer will tell you, ‘OMG, thar iz 2 much mon33 on mah gridz!!1!11!!!’

Let’s not forget that this stuff is also constantly being tweaked and tuned for ‘balance’, or at least that’s what they tell us. We already know that DSS has almost zero transparency unless you’re a coder, and is very easy to rig behind the scenes to cause unfavorable outcomes to anyone Cujo and his cronies don’t happen to like. Not to mention all this code breaks down sometimes, and only does so more often when there’s more of it to break. But I suppose it gives them a reason to say they don’t have time to run plots, right?

In theory, if this game were trying to be a Star Wars simulator, this makes logical sense. Cujo and company have been bashing away at a coded space combat system for literally years, one that is meant to be compatible with the space flight system used on the game. And after not less than three years, they may have actually gotten it working, though work-arounds are still in heavy use, and I can’t recall seeing many actual coded space battles that happened on actual coded ships in the last year or so.

But they can code until the sky falls down and still never get an authentic Star Wars experience. I don’t recall Han Solo and Chewbacca flying the Millennium Falcon by inputting text commands and watching endless static displays of text, and I doubt I’ll ever meet anyone who does. So I guess the operative question is… why? There are Star Wars games out there that have as good of an experience or better, and have done so with much, much less code. And they don’t suffer from database bloat to boot.

TL;DR AoA has rules in place to try to mitigate a self-inflicted database bloat issue. Why does this game have so much unnecessary code in general, and so much coded STUFF in particular, when none of it adds to the RP experience, and often actually impedes RP? Ask Cujo. Just don’t expect a meaningful answer.

@Buttercup I salute you for doing a job I can’t do, and for injuries received in the line of duty. Deeply sorry it had to happen to you, but glad you’re on the mend. Hope the recovery is very swift and smooth, especially given how rocky the road thus far has been.